Cocteau Twins' version of "Frosty the Snowman" is the definitive rendition, one of those "Liz Fraser could sing the phone book" moments. On the other hand, I'm strangely antipathetic to their "Winter Wonderland" (but then, I don't think there is a good version of "Winter Wonderland").posted by mykescipark at 8:26 PM on December 2 [7 favorites]

I think the Cocteau Twins' rendition of Frosty the Snowman (which did make a bunch of these lists) is the definitive one. Their Winter Wonderland cover fails because face it, it's a vapid song. Frosty the Snowman on the other hand is goth as hell and the Cocteaus explode it on contact with the full force of their bittersweet way.

I will never forget hearing Liz' "Frosty" for the first time. I was in a retail district of my wife's Southern California hometown and literally thought I was experiencing an audio hallucination, because cool music by good musicians was strictkly forbad in such settings in the US circa the mid-nineties. It took me two years to see what canny 4AD had done. Good 4AD, carrying the fight to the front.posted by mwhybark at 8:37 PM on December 2 [3 favorites]

It took me two years to see what canny 4AD had done. Good 4AD, carrying the fight to the front.

Well, the Cocteaux were off 4AD by that point - they had left for Fontana after Heaven or Las Vegas - but I still hear "Frosty" in the local chain drug store around L.A. every holiday season, and it always throws me off.posted by mykescipark at 8:55 PM on December 2 [2 favorites]

hunh, good Cocteaux then. I have been operating under a twenty-year misapprehension that 4AD developed a Christmas album and that Frosty was among the tracks. I haven't been sufficiently motivated to adress the truth or untruth of this info in twenty years, it seems.

(ponders)

It's a thing I heard a long time ago. I liked, and still like, the idea that 4AD developed, recorded, and released a US-oriented holiday LP. I would not be surprised to learn I was wrong. I would be a bit disappointed.posted by mwhybark at 9:20 PM on December 2 [1 favorite]

The entire Trans Siberia Orchestra experience is about wizards and space-ships fighting through an army of flying demons so Santa can come this year. And just as it looks like they're going to lose, the Manheim Steamroller comes out of nowhere like a righteous holiday-themed steamroller to blaze a path through!

Goths get it on the chin more than even the Furries do. If there's anyone I'd rely on to save Christmas from the forces of darkness, the athletic, co-ordinated ones with the gas-masks? Yeah. Watch your ass, Grinch.posted by Slap*Happy at 10:25 PM on December 2 [5 favorites]

The 1990s don't-call-us-goth label Projekt (whose demographic seemed to be people who found Dead Can Dance too mainstream) had a Christmas compilation one year. I had a copy back in Australia.posted by acb at 1:00 AM on December 3 [2 favorites]

In 1989, the darkest Christmas music was Vince Guaraldi's stuff. Back in the day when you never heard the music outside of the Christmas Special. Before it got worked into every store's annoying Xmas muzak mix.

Back then, you'd play it while bartending. And when the Wednesday night crowd had a few beers, they'd all get teary for their own personal reasons. The middle aged would just stare into the distance. The gen-x kids were all: "hey! isn't that..." and then silence for the rest of the night.

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